I am 44 and been experiencing this with my periods since I was 15. Not every period, can go 6 months without this happening and then might have a year where it happens every month. I find that if I can take painkillers before the pain starts I can keep it at bay. However if the pain starts before I take medication then I will have 3 or 4 hours of agoiny, constipation/diarrhea, cramping, hot/cold sweats, shaing, feeling faint (blood pressure very low), swollen ankle with pain that travels up to my thigh (one side only) and vomitting whcih prevents me taking any pain killers. I usually end up lying on bathroom floor and after a few hours I usually sleep for a few hours and when I wake the pain is milder and no longer vomiting so can take some pain killers.
I have been diagnosed with IBS and although I no longer experience IBS symtoms at other times (thanks to change in diet - mainky cutting out caffeine and limited dairy) my periods are still like this so not sure if it is related or not.
I always feel as it the other symtoms - hot/cold sweats, vomiting, shaking, faintness) are my body's reaction to the pain however that is just my opinion but I do find taking pain killer before pain starts to be the best way of dealing with it. I take diclofenic as soon as there is a hint of my period staring and then coedine at the first twinge of pain.
Hi I'm 17 yo girl who just experienced this today. Most terrifying experience of my life, at one point I thought my lower intestines had exploded or something most excruciating pain that didn't go away whichever way I lay down. Luckily had my stepbrother at home today who made me feel a bit less alone.
Had just been on a v short run with my stepbrother (about 10mins or less) and got back and felt ok but progressively worse and worse until I was shaking and had spots on my vision and got to the toilet where I sat in sweats (originally thought was from running because I'm quite unfit but think now more like from this problem) and impaired vision. Thoughti would pass out so got out of the toilet and laid on the carpeted floor where I shouted for my bro. He came in quite scared as I was moaning and wouldn't move from the floor. Eventually (4ish mins I would say) the pain subsided enough for me to move to the larger upstairs toilet so I didn't feel as claustrophobic , as soon as I got there the pain came back very quickly and I got on the toilet and was sweating pretty much dripping with sweat from my fringe and very blurry vision and I had diarrhoea and then got up and got to the floor where I laid and shouted for my bro again. He brought a pillow and some painkillers and water (very thoughtful considering he is a 15yo) and rang my mum who said maybe it was my period as I had just started literally when I got back from the running. I could feel the sweat on the pillow and I was still shaking a bit and the pain in my lower abdomen was still simmering away although had subsided again. I lay there until I felt able to stand and get changed.
Now it is about 9 hours from the attack and I am in my bed I can still sort of feel the pain in abdomen as before but lesser, like my normal cramps. Praying that I don't have another attack as it was terrifying, I felt alone and scared as though I would die in terrible pain.
Some info about me is that I am undiagnosed but most likely lactose intolerant ( I have keratosis pilaris on my arms and legs and gas that both are decreased by trying to avoid milk products). I also have weird timed periods recently as I missed for two months then very painful one then again missed for a while then today's attack and begin of period. I also went very very white after this attack and my mum said I may have anaemia as I have quite heavy periods. I also may or may not have a heart problem as my dad died from heart transplant he needed as his heart didn't pump blood around body properly (left ventricular cardiomyopathy). Can't think of anything else. This thread has helped me know I'm at least not alone so thank you all!!
I am a 45 y/o male and I have had these attacks for years now. Sometimes I get them close together 2-3 times a month and sometimes I go a year or more between them. I have been to a gastroenterologist and they seem to be uninterested in finding out what the problem is. After a recent one I had had bloody discharge from my rectum for 3 days in a row. The first day I had a mass the size of my fist. My wife looked at it and said it looked like her period and rushed me to the ER. I went the following day for the same thing. ER docs seemed uninterested and wanted to discharge me right away. I was scoped and they found ischemia of my large bowel, the doc said this perplexed him as this is only seen in men over 70 yet he did not seem to care. I was released to my primary care doc and that was that. No follow up at all. given that I get my healthcare via the Veterans Health Administration I am not surprised by this lack of care. Yet I am still very concerned about this and I am considering paying out of pocket to go to a civilian gastroenterologist.
Deejay I agree it does not have anything to do with a menstrual cycle. I have had this since I was 16 years old and I am in my 50's now. Thank goodness I do not get it that often. Maybe once every 6 to 8 months. Mine is exactly like yours. I always wake up with it. Since you are a male you do not know what it feels like to have a baby, but the pain you are feeling is just like having a baby. The contractions about every 2 minutes. The only difference between you and I is mine ALWAYS starts out with hard stoles then changes to very loose.
I experience the same kind of symptoms too! In fact, this happened to me just yesterday at a mall. It was the first day of my period. The cold sweats, the nausea, the feeling of fainting which made walking really difficult and the diarrhea. It's relieved somewhat after I go to the toilet a few times but what really helps, for me at least is drinking a cup of tea afterwards and a short nap. Even though this does happen on the first day of period, it's not something that happens every time I get my period. Sometimes I'll have a nice uneventful period. Nowadays I just learn to recognise the symptoms and get ready to hustle to the bathroom when the wave hits. Too bad I was caught unawares by it yesterday.
Thanks for sharing your experience! It's great to know that I'm not the only one who has this problem. It's interesting to know the biology behind it and why some women has it worse than others.
Thanks for sharing your experience! It's great to know that I'm not the only one who has this problem. It's interesting to know the biology behind it and why some women has it worse than others.
I had this exact situation almost daily as long as I can remember - at any time of the day it felt like happening. Cramps, nausea (but no vomiting), hearthburn, cold sweats, pain that radiated all down my legs, and finally diarreah. I went for every test in the book, and everything always came back negative. They told me I have IBS, but the medications still didn't totally fix the problem. It wasn't until I was 27 and found a new primary care Dr. and told her my symptoms that she suggested I try a gluten free diet for 2 months, and see if anything got better. Within 2 weeks, I was no longer a slave to the bathroom, and the nausea and heartburn were significantly less intense. After 2 months, I felt a total change in my body- more energy, not as fatigued, my stomach felt "normal" for the first time in my life, my hair even started growing in fuller. Maintaining a gluten free diet is NOT easy, and I do cheat from time to time... and then I am quickly reminded of why I need to stop again! Hope this helps... it's worth a try! It's a healthier diet anyway :)
This happened to be on an AIRPLANE yesterday... For like 2 hours straight.
I was in such pain. Very sharp cramps, dizziness, sweating uncontrollably, and constantly using the bathroom.
I'd like to know what it is too.
I exercise and eat decent foods. My doctor says I'm healthy.
Curious to know what is wrong
one word: IBS
I think it's food poisoning that's what they told me at the ER... It's viral so it has to run it's course
Wow I thought I was the only one but we have the same exact symptoms but I'm 18 years old ...I just recently had the same type of episode this week at work at first I was normal until my stomach start bothering me to the point I have go to restroom that's when I start feeling dizzy while my legs and hands starts to shaking and my body feels overheated and then I start getting the chills and this been happening since I was 15 years old but sadly I never knew why myself ...
YUP! I get this too, exactly as you have described it!! Never passed out, it's always at night, waking me from a sound sleep. However, most times, as one of the waves of cramping/pain ends, I feel the sensation of gas bubbles (or something?) passing along the left side of my abdomen...as if something is shifting in my intestines and as it does, it lessens the intensity of the pain, briefly, until the next wave hits. I'm a 39 yr old female and the only pain I've ever felt which compares to this was being in labor!! YES - IT HURTS THAT MUCH!! And just like you said, after I have evacuated my bowels, it's all suddenly gone, leaving me exhausted from the ordeal.
I've had food poisoning. This isn't it.
This comes on very suddenly, always occurring while I'm asleep - the pain wakes me from deep sleep - acute abdominal pain/cramping that comes in waves that are (as someone else mentioned) about 2 minutes apart... they are so painful that it literally feels like being in active labor (I'm not just repeating from another post either - I've had a kid and know what labor feels like).
I also don't think it is at all period related. I never cramp during my periods, only bleed lightly and have had these attacks during several different times in my monthly cycle.
I suspect the nausea and cold sweats (as well as the fainting/vomiting others have reported) may be caused by the sheer intensity of the pain. The whole thing lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours and stops almost as quickly as it started, once the bowels are evacuated... but good lord - everything that comes before the big poop attack is agony!! I can definitely relate to those who wrote about laying on the tiles.. When one of these attacks comes on, I grab a towel from the linen closet, on my way to the bathroom and lay it on the floor because I know I'm going to end up down there soon, writhing in horrible pain and fighting the urge to scream out in agony... and I have a very high pain threshold.
Compared to this, food poisoning is a day at the beach!
Well I had the EXACT same thing happen to me today. Since I have no fever and felt relatively good in a few hours, just tired, I am pretty sure that I had food poisoning. I ate in a diner forlunch yesterday, so you never know what hands there had on them or their hygiene practices. I made flounder for dinner, so it could be that too. No aches, etc, which would be more common with a stomach flu. And the onset was crazy for me. I thought I was fine, then suddenly running to the bathroom going from both ends. Ugh. To answer your other question, sometimes before an especially painful period, I had sometimes experienced incredible diarrhea. ..hormonal related. :-)
I have the same exact symptoms, except I had a hysterectomy, so I don't have periods. I am going to the Dr. Tmrw. I'm 29. I would love to here back from You, and I'll let you know what the Dr. Says. I hope your still on this site.
I have the exact symptoms only mine might be related to blood loss. I had this happened a few time during on the first day of period. And the other times when i donated blood. One other time, when i was diagnosed with having stomach virus. It was so bad i had to go to emergency and had to stay overnight. I am very afraid of getting pregnant because of this. Did you experience any problem during delivery of a baby?